Man in critical condition after fire at St. Petersburg home

ST. PETERSBURG – A 51-year-old man was in critical condition this morning after a fire ignited at his home near north Gulfport.

St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue arrived at 4810 Sixth Ave. about 8:45 a.m. to find smoke pouring out from the man's front room. Firefighters moving through the house extinguished the blaze and found the man unconscious on the floor of his back bedroom.

The man, who has not been identified, had second-degree burns and was taken to Bayfront Medical Center before being moved to Tampa General Hospital's Burn Unit.

Fire inspectors say the fire started accidentally, possibly from one of the man's nearby candles or cigarettes. The home had no smoke alarms. Damage to the home was estimated at about $25,000.